UK NEWS
HUGE FAILINGS OF FRENCH POLICE AT DIANA CRASH SITE
Inquest reveals blunders at crash site
By Richard Palmer, Royal Correspondant
A SERIES of failings blighted the French investigation into the crash in which Princess Diana died, her inquest heard yesterday.
Scotland Yard’s senior road accident expert, Tony Read, said he believed French police investigators did not recover all the debris from the scene and that there were “significant” pieces missing.
Their failures meant valuable time was lost in identifying that a Fiat Uno was involved and had failed to stop. He said: “It does not appear that anyone understood that it was a Fiat Uno until some days after the collision had taken place.”
He also told the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London that a similar crash in the UK might have been followed up with a full fingertip search of the scene, with the tunnel closed for several days rather than a few hours.
“There would have been all manner of scientific support brought in,” he told the jury. “Everything that possibly came from the vehicle would have been collected.”
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Crash site investigators may not have recovered vital evidence
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British and French police accept that Diana and Dodi Fayed’s Mercedes, driven by the Ritz Hotel’s acting head of security Henri Paul, clipped a mysterious white Fiat Uno before crashing into a concrete pillar in the Alma Tunnel in Paris on August 31 1997.
The jury was told that evidence was building up to support the theory that a third blocking car and also a motorcycle trailing the couple’s Mercedes helped cause the fatal crash.
A lawyer for Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, who believes the couple were murdered, told the jury yesterday that there was growing support for the theory that the Fiat Uno was not the only vehicle involved in the crash.
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You really have all the ingredients for a certain crash
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Michael Mansfield QC, who outlined the scenario on Wednesday, said at least three witnesses had reported seeing a dark-coloured vehicle driving slowly in the fast left-hand lane as the Mercedes entered the tunnel.
Their descriptions of the car varied, but all agreed it was dark and small and unwilling to move over into the slower lane as the Mercedes, travelling at between 50 and 60mph bore down on it.
Behind the Mercedes, according to witnesses, was at least one motorcycle, perhaps with someone on board taking flash photography of the hunted couple.
“And if a speeding Mercedes pursued by a motorcycle at the very least is suddenly confronted with a slow-moving vehicle that does not get out of the way, you really have all the ingredients for a certain crash,” Mr Mansfield said.
Mr Al Fayed, has suggested that Diana and Dodi were deliberately forced into a trap in the tunnel by British agents plotting to kill or seriously injure them.
He has claimed the spies were acting on orders from Prince Philip, who he said wanted them dead because they were about to get engaged and that Diana was pregnant with her Muslim lover’s child.
But accident expert Mr Read yesterday branded a conspiracy theory to explain the crash as a “non-starter”.
He told the inquest that there was little chance of a plot involving two cars and a motorcycle succeeding.
“Participants in the venture would have to understand and have to have accepted the very real possibility that they would be seriously injured, if not killed, themselves.”
The inquest also heard that the Scotland Yard department that liaises with British spies arranged for police to make secret trips to Paris after Princess Diana’s death.
Previously undisclosed visits arranged by the commander of the Yard’s specialist operations directorate, which works closely with MI5 and MI6, were revealed.
The inquest was adjourned until Monday.
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GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT...
09.11.07, 10:26pm
JonO:
"They also managed to turn off their own radio system during the performance on the 31/8/96 and also the lights in the tunnel, whilst the hit was done...."
I am sorry to contrdict you, but it was 1997 !
GOLDENARROW:
There are so many posts by you, it is rather like a monologue !
Having said that, I find the speculation of a conspiracy to kill Princess Diana is completely ludicrous.
Unfortunately, the more absurd speculations are, the more intriguing they get ...
• Posted by: Loli • Report Comment
BIAS AND PREJUDICE IN EQUAL MEASURE LEAVES NO ROOM FOR OBJECTIVITY
09.11.07, 10:11pm
Isn’t the human psyche fascinating? A guy can drive like a maniac end up killing himself and two passengers yet there are people who refuse to believe he had anything to do with the crash because one of the driver’s passengers happened to be Diana and she must have been murdered by order of the Royals.
Yet if the same accusers were driving along the road and the same idiot loomed in their mirrors doing twice the speed limit in a built-up area they would have been demanding his head.
Yes the murder advocates are tainted by prejudice (for the Royals) and bias for Diana
About fifty-fifty I’d say which leaves no room for objectivity - Sad really
• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W • Report Comment
WHO CONFRONTED WHO????
09.11.07, 8:21pm
“And if a speeding Mercedes pursued by a motorcycle at the very least is SUDDENLY CONFRONTED with a slow-moving vehicle that does not get out of the way, you really have all the ingredients for a certain crash,” Mr Mansfield said.
If I was driving my Uno within the speed limit and a big black Merc suddenly appeared in my mirrors doing 60mph - I WOULD CERTAINLY KNOW WHO WAS BEING CONFRONTED AND WHO WAS DOING THE CONFRONTING.
• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W • Report Comment
FOR CRASH SUBSTITUTE ACCIDENT
09.11.07, 7:44pm
“And if a speeding Mercedes pursued by a motorcycle at the very least is suddenly confronted with a slow-moving vehicle that does not get out of the way, YOU REALLY HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A CERTAIN CRASH,” Mr Mansfield said.
THE LAWYER COULDN'T QUITE BRING HIMSELF TO SAY - YOU REALLY HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A CERTAIN ACCIDENT
• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W • Report Comment
AND AL FAYED'S LAWYER SAID
09.11.07, 7:21pm
And what about this statement by Al Fayed’s lawyer:
“And if a speeding Mercedes pursued by a motorcycle at the very least is suddenly confronted with a slow-moving vehicle that does not get out of the way, you really have all the ingredients for a certain crash,” Mr Mansfield said.
Even Al Fayed's lawyer admits Henri was speeding so if I am conspiring with him then I cannot be wrong.
Oh and by the way I never said anything about Henri being drunk. In fact it would have been better if Henri being drunk had never been mentioned by anyone. The fact that he was doing 60mph in a built-up area is reckless enough without the added burden of being pissed as well.
• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W • Report Comment
GOLDENARROW SAID;
09.11.07, 6:22pm
But then again I'am not big on conspiracy theories.
• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W
I would argue that your unjust support for the Drunken /speeding/ driver conspiracy against both Diana and British Justice is evidence enough of that.
Diana's murder is the biggest conspiracy of all.
• Posted by: JonO • Report Comment
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